Centrifugal system of wet spinning of natural fibers



CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS Filed Sept. 21, 1950 A. BOLELLI Feb. 2, 1954 ssheets-sneet 1 III I ATTORNEYS Filed Sept. 21, 1950 Feb. 2 1954 A. BOLELL! 2,667,733

CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR TToRNEv A. BOLELLI Feb. 2, 1954 CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS Filed Sept. 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INMENTORI ALDQ BOLE LLI BY QMAMM MA WA MT QR was Feb, 2, 1954 A. BOLELLI 2,657,733

CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS Filed Sept. 21, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I NV ENTdR:

ALDO BOLELLL BY xXmM -:X

ATTORNEY$ Feb. 2, 1954 BOLELLI 2,667,733

CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS Filed Sept. 21. 1950 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. A lddNBo/e/h Mfu 4 4 Patented Feb. 2, 1954 CENTRIFUGAL SYSTEM OF WET SPINNING OF NATURAL FIBERS AldoBolelli, Bologna, Italy Application September 21, 1950, Serial N 0. 186,092

Claims priority, application Italy February 1, 1950 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method for wet centrifugal spinning of natural fibers such as flax, hemp, ramie fibers and the like, and

to an improved apparatus therefor.

It is an object of this invention to apply the centrifugal spinning to the natural fibers which have to be spun by a process, in such a manner as to avoid the rewinding of the annulus, formed in the centrifugal spinning on to a bobbin in order to allow extraction of the yarn spun from the rotary vessel, and to forward the same to the required successive working phases, and wherein the annulus obtained keeps its original form when undergoing drying.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method whereby, during the centrifugal spinning of the fibers, it is not necessary to effect rewinding after breakage of the yarn and to provide means for gathering the end of the yarn already spun within a vessel. In this method, in the event of a breakage, it is only necessary to piece the broken end which projects from the drawing rollers with a piece of yarn supplied by the operator, the other end of which is brought into the Vessel, which is permittted to continue running. The operator is not concerned with the loose end of the broken yarn remaining in the mass already spun. Owing to the wetting of the sliver to be spun, the annulus of yarn formed in the rotary vessel remains stiff when the vessel is stopped.

An apparatus for carrying out the present in vention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus with the elements shown in their starting position;

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus with the elements shown during the winding phase when the annulus is formed;

Figure 3 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus with the elements shown in their position when the annulusis formed and the yarn holder is lifted forpermitting the extraction of the annulus from the vessel;

Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates the apparatus with the elements shown in their position when the yarn has been broken and the piecing up of the yarn is prepared;

Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates the 2 phase of the extraction of the annulus from the vessel;

Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 illustrate different phases of separating the annulus;

Figure 11 illustrates a vertical section of the apparatus for carrying out the process; and

Figure 12 illustrates a lateral view of the apparatus.

Referring now to Figure 1, 12 indicates the roving which has previously undergone a wetting as required by the nature of the fibers to be spun, coming from the drawing rollers l and introduced in the yarn holder 3 supported by a lever B, which is provided with a handle i3 and is pivoted on pivot l5 of bracket 1. The bracket 3' is provided with a pin l6 which abuts against surface 14 of lever B. The bracket 1 bears on controlling rod 8 which is caused to vertically reciprocate by rotation of a heart-shaped cam 9. For the sake of simplicity in Figures 1, 2, 3 and l, the cam 9 is shown as acting directly against the lower end of rod 8 whereas in Figure 11 there is illustrated in detail an arrangement of the cam 9 with respect to the rod 8.

The lifting and the lowering of lever 6 (Figure 2) due to the rotation of cam 9 causes a reciprocating vertical motion of the lever 6 and therefore of the yarn holder inside the vessel 2. The lever 6 may be hand operated through handle [3, which lifts the yarn holder from the vessel 2 by causing the same to rotate around pivot I5.

The vesselZ is provided with a cover 5, centrally bored and provided with a border projecting downward into the vessel. In order to prevent the centrifugally spun yarn from sticking to the inner wall of the vessel 2, a resilient cylinder formed with a resilient membrane 5 folded on itself is inserted in. the vessel, which owing to. its elasticity is kept in contact with the inner wall of the border of the cover 4 so that by lifting the When the annulus is completed, the yarn holder 3 is lifted by hand by means of the handle l3, and the yarn is cut (Figure 3) so as to allow removing the membrane 5 and the annulus therewith from the vessel.

In the event of a breakage of the yarn during the centrifugal spinning, the yarn holder 3 is lifted (Figure 4) and the operator introduces in the yarn holder a piece of yarn l2 having a length of about 50 cm.; then the yarn holder is again lowered into the vessel, which was kept in rotation, and the lowerend of the yarn starts rotating, thus obtaining stretching and twisting of the yarn. At this time, the operator puts the other end of the yarn i2 in contact with the loose end of the broken roving projecting from the drawing rollers, thus effecting the piecing together of the piece 2 with the roving l2. It is not necessary for the operator to take anyaction as regards the loose end remaining in the mass of to free the membrane and the annulus from the cover, use is made of the-pincers ll (Figures 6 and '7) formed by two semicircular arms pivoted to each other at one end, and provided, at the other end, with handles. The arms of the pincers are separated sufficientlyto allow surrounding the'periphery of the membrane 5 and a slight pressure is then'exerted, until the cover 4 may be easily removed. At the same time, a second resilient cylinder 10 constructedfrom an elastic membrane folded on itself is introduced in the central hole of the annulus and made to contact,

owing to its elasticity, with the inner surface of the annulus. Thus, the form of the annulus if kept unaltered during'the successive phase of the Working cycle. When the membrane 10 is introduced, the pincers H are loosened so as to allow the membrane 5 to open and't'o be" removed.

As may be seen from Figure 11, the roving i2 coming from the creel passes through a tank containing heated water: and goes to the de-' livery rollers 21 'which'supply the same to the drawing rollers I from which the roving extends through the yarn holder 3 to the rotating vessel 2. Near the vessel there is located a basin 22' for collecting any liquid set free during the centrifui gal spinning.

The vessel 2 is rotated by shaft 23 'operated through belt I8 by wheel 11. For obtaining the vertical reciprocating motion'of the yarn holder 3, a lever 26 pivoted at 21 is provided which is in touch (Fig. 12), through roller 29 with the heartshaped cam 9 which may rotate round the shaft 30 in. any usual manner, not shown in the drawing. On the. lower portion of lever 26 a flexible connection member is fixed, which winds around the periphery of wheel 33, provided with a hub. 34 (Fig. v11.) which is rotatable around shaft 24. A chain 3] (Fig. 11) fixed to the hub 34 is connected at the other end to the lower end of rod 8, which supports the bracket 7. fhe chain 3| may be wound on the hub for a sufficient amount to provide the desired oscillation of lever 26.

I claim: 7

1. A method for wet centrifugal-spinning of flax, hemp, ramie fibers and the like comprising cylinder pressing the-periphery'of saidcylinder,

removing said cylinder from the cover,'-introducing into the inner cavity of the annulus a second hollow resilient cylinder made with an elastic membrane folded on itself in contact with the inner surface of the annulus, whereby the said annulus is ready to be directly dried, without first eifecting re-winding of the yarn of the annulus formed onto a bobbin.

25A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein piecing together of yarn which has broken during centrifugal spinning is obtained by introducing a portion of yarn in the yarn holder, which portion of yarn at one end is brought into contact with the inner surface of the annulus already formed when'the breakage occurred, which is kept in rotation'and at the other'end contacted with the broken end of the roving projecting from the drawing rollersand connected to said roving through the-twisting undergone by the portion. of yarn due to the rotation of the annulus.

3. An apparatus for wet centrifugal spinning of flax, hemp, ramie fibers andthelike comprising in combination a tank adapted for containing hot water for wetting the roving, a pair of drawing rollers positioned near the outlet end of said tank, means for supplying the roving to said rollers, a rapidly rotatablevessellocated beneath said drawing rollers having an axially bored cover provided with a-peripheral downward projecting border, a resilient cylinder formed-of an elastic membrane folded on itself inserted in said vessel, pressing against the inner surface of the border of the cover and supported therefrom, a yarn: holder for guiding; the roving coming from thedrawing roliers inside the rotating vessel to be centrifugallyzspun in such'a manner as to be heldfiagainst the inner surface of said resilient cylinder to form anannulus of yarn, said elastic cylinder being removable from the cover of the vessel after the cover has been lifted.

4. An apparatus for wet. centrifugal spinning of flax, hemp, ramie fibers and like, comprising in combination a roving wetting tank, a pair of drawing rollers and means for supplying the roving thereto from said tank, a rapidly rotatable vessel located beneath :said' drawing rollers, an axially bored cover for said vessel having a peripheralv downward projecting border thereon, a resilient cylinder formed by an elastic, membrane folded'on itself inserted in said vessel and pressing against the-inner surface of the border of the cover and being supported therefrom,--a yarn holder for guiding the roving from the drawing-rollers into the inside of said rotating vessel to be centrifugally spun therein and held against the inner surface'of said resilient cylinder to form an annulus'of yarn, means for imparting to the yarn-holder avertical reciprocating motion during the spinning, operation, and means for lifting said yarn holder for removing the same from-thesaid vessel.

-5. An: apparatus claimedin claim 4,;wherein said means for imparting to the yarn holder a vertlcal reciprocating motion comprises a heartshaped cam, a pivotally mounted osoillatable lever pressing against said cam and being reciprocable thereby, a rotatably mounted Wheel having a hub, a flexible connection between said oscillatable lever and said wheel for angular movement of said wheel, a controlling rod attached to the yarn holder, a chain connected at one end to said rod and at the other end to said hub of said Wheel, angular motion of said Wheel being transformed into reciprocating motion of said controlling rod and said yarn holder by said chain.

ALDO BOLELLI.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Burrows et a1. Apr. 13, 1897 Clayton May 23, 1922 Negishi May 17, 1938 Prince-Smith Jan. 3, 1939 Prince-Smith Feb. 18, 1941 McDermott Oct. 1, 1946 Martinez Nov. 25, 1947 Elvin June 15, 1943 

